Finding Hope
by Scififan33
Summary: my first try at a Transformers fic. With the war going badly and Megatron getting close, the decision is made to launch the AllSpark. When it is done plans are made to track it down and secure it from falling into Deception hands.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers._

 _I know, I shouldn't be starting another one, but I recently re-watched the first movies and spent most of it cringing at the dialogue. Still haven't seen The Last Knight, is it worth watching? What I know of Transformers is coming from the movies, other fics, and the odd facts I've managed to dig up online. Some of the stuff in this chapter is from a MTV blog on a short story from Alex Irvine who apparently writes Transformers novels. What is a good place to look for transformer's info? I'm only finding bits and pieces._

 _As for times, found these online:_

 _Klick = 0.21 seconds_

 _Breem = 8.3 minutes_

 _Joor = 6.5hr_

 _Orn = 13days_

 _Decivorn = 8.3yrs_

 _Vorn = 83yrs_

 _Decavorn = 830yrs_

 **Chapter 1**

"When I was a clerk I never had to worry about live," Optimus Prime admitted as he stood in the Hall of Records in Iacon. He had come seeking answers from one older than him, but he wasn't sure he would receive the ones he needed.

Alpha Trion chuckled in response, "it was never going to be any other way, Optimus. I knew you were destined – "

"To trade the caste system for Decepticon tyranny?" Optimus demanded but there was no answer for some time.

"It could be, that the war does not end here," he finally answered.

"I don't follow your meaning, Archivist," Optimus Prime admitted, watching the taller mech as he sat behind his desk. Where else would the war end? It had been Decavorns since any Cybertronian had travelled to the stars or contacted the lost colonies and outposts that speckled the cosmos. The last ship to leave had been Sentinel's and that had not ended well, his ship and the technology it had carried, destroyed, leaving Optimus in sole command of the Autobots, feeling lost with the loss of his mentor.

"I am thinking of the AllSpark," Alpha Trion clarified. "It does not just give us life. It is the living record of all that has ever happened on Cybertron. It is our past, present and future. I would rather see the planet destroyed utterly than have the AllSpark fall into Megatron's hands."

"I will protect it," Optimus Prime swore, he would not let his brother corrupt it to his purposes.

Alpha Trion sighed and looked right at him, "That is the problem, Optimus. You may not be able to."

Optimus Prime couldn't believe what he was hearing, was even Alpha Trion questioning his courage, his qualifications? Optimus stayed silent because he did not trust himself to speak. Then when he had controlled his emotions he said, "I understand."

"I am not sure you do," Alpha Trion admitted. "You take my words as censure. In fact, they are what I understand from the Covenant." He tapped Covenant's weathered cover. "Herein are the transcribed records of our civilization," he said. "I make additions here and there, but much is already on these pages. Including the future—but future events are problematic for me to comprehend as they are written. The Covenant does mention an ominous threat to the AllSpark, however. The situation is desperate. I believe we must act."

"Act how? We could ring the Well of AllSparks with every Autobot, and the Decepticons would overwhelm us. They have numbers. We survive by fighting smarter than they do." Optimus Prime looked at the Covenant in a new light. He had thought it an archive, or Alpha Trion's personal journal. To know that it extended into the future…

"Yes," Alpha Trion agreed. "We must fight smarter. And where one alternative is a certain loss, a reckless gamble can be the smarter alternative."

Optimus would never have thought to hear Alpha Trion suggesting a reckless gamble as a military strategy. And when he heard what the Archivist was actually proposing, Optimus thought that everything on Cybertron truly must have gone insane. Without the AllSpark there would be no more Sparkling's, there were far too few Femmes left for them to rebuild that way. The ones that remained were spread out far too thinly, including his own dear Elita-One who had taken a mission that kept them apart.

"I believe we must initiate the AllSpark Failsafe," Alpha Trion continued. He spoke slowly and carefully, as he always did, but Optimus Prime could hear a disillusionment in his tone as well. This was not easy for the archivist to say. "We must eject the AllSpark from Cybertron to protect it from Megatron."

"Eject…Archivist," gasped Optimus, unable to believe he would suggest such a thing, "I can protect it."

"This is no longer about you, Optimus," Alpha Trion stated firmly, standing up, forcing the young Prime to look up at him. "It is not a criticism or a judgment. The situation is what it is, and it calls for appropriate action. If the AllSpark is lost, all is lost. You are Prime. You must do what is necessary."

After a pause, Optimus Prime nodded, "Understood."

"Know that you are in the right, Optimus," Alpha Trion said, tone softening some. "Have you not noticed that even as the Well slowed, and fewer and fewer bots emerged, the majority of those Sparkling's grew to become Autobots? The AllSpark has spoken through this. Your cause—our cause—is just." That was all the comfort he could give.

"Where will the AllSpark go?" Optimus Prime asked in concern.

Alpha Trion shook his head, "We must not know that. If we know, Megatron—or Soundwave—can find out. But if we do not know, if we rely on the AllSpark to signal you and call to you, then we have a chance to find it once this war is over and it is safe to return the AllSpark to Cybertron."

"So, we're just going to fling it out into space. Somewhere. And hope we can find it again," Optimus Prime said slowly, and Alpha Trion nodded. "The Covenant talks about this?" Alpha Trion nodded again. "I do not like it," Optimus Prime said. "But I will do it. Tell me how."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Optimus Prime called in a meeting of his most trusted lieutenants once he had returned to the base, Spark heavy with what he had to tell them but there was truly no other way. Prowl as chief strategist was present as was Jazz as chief of special operations. Ratchet, his chief medical officer, Ironhide his weapons specialist and and the valorous Ultra Magnus, who had also apprenticed for a time under Sentinel Prime.

Last there was Bumblebee, one of his best Scouts, despite his youth. He had become a fiery warrior and had made a name for himself in recent battles, distinguishing himself particularly in the Tagan Heights stalemate and the victory at Kalis. Bumblebee had risen through the ranks quickly. He was capable but raw, with the youngster's tendency to get himself in over his head—but he also had the unteachable ability to see unexpected solutions to seemingly intractable problems. A can-do attitude went a long way toward keeping Autobot morale up when things looked bleak. And Optimus hated having him there, he had been forced to grow up far too quickly thanks to the war. He still remembered the day Bumblebee had been pulled from the rubble as a mere Sparkling, his Creators dead. With no other option he had been raised among them, Ironhide and Chromia stepping up to act as his Guardians. There wasn't an Autobot that had met the Sparkling that hadn't been cheered up by his presence. After the Decepticons had begun slaughtering every Sparkling and Youngling they came across, they had become rare…so rare that Bumblebee was likely the last of his generation.

The seven Autobots gathered around a map display of the area stretching from the Well of AllSparks north almost as far as the pole, where the ruins of Six Lasers Over Cybertron lay, and east to encompass Iacon and the contested territories toward Nova Cronum. Autobot holdings were represented in blue; surrounding them, a sea of Decepticon red spread in every direction. "We're down to our most secure bases," Optimus Prime said. "You all know that. Megatron fights as if he would destroy Cybertron in order to control it, while we are fighting to preserve our home," he paused, considering how best to frame what he had to say next. "In the battle for the Tagan Heights," Optimus Prime went on, "we destroyed what we were fighting over. Factories can be rebuilt. Cities, too. But there are some things that cannot be replaced. These we must protect at all costs." Optimus rested a finger on the lower left corner of the map, over the Well of AllSparks, "The AllSpark itself is in danger. Megatron will try to seize and control it. If he does…"

"We know," Ultra Magnus finished for him. "What is the plan?"

"There are not enough Autobots to hold the Well itself if Megatron focuses all of his strength on it," Optimus Prime said. "We are stronger bot to bot than they are, but there are too many of them. So, I have consulted with Alpha Trion, and we agree. The AllSpark must be saved, and the only way to save it is to get it off Cybertron."

"No!" Bumblebee yelped and Ironhide clamped a heavy hand down on his shoulder and Bumblebee held back whatever it was he had been about to say next, blue optics wide. He didn't want to be the last Sparkling!

"Listen to Prime," Ironhide chided gently. Bumblebee may no longer be a Youngling but as far as he was concerned the young Autobot would always be his charge. He looked to Optimus Prime, and Optimus was overcome for a moment. Ironhide had been one of the most sceptical of the older generation of Autobots. For the first cycles of the war, he had openly questioned whether Optimus Prime had what it took to lead Cybertron. That had changed over the Vorns and he was now one of the most loyal to Optimus.

Optimus inclined his head in Ironhide's direction. "My thanks," he said. "And Bumblebee, my thanks to you as well. You are a valued addition to our ranks," he praised the little Scout, "But yes. We must preserve the AllSpark."

"What do we do?" Jazz asked. "Whatever it is, let's get to it."

"There is a failsafe process. We must go down into the Well of AllSparks and set it in motion." Optimus Prime looked again at the map. "We will go subsurface to Kalis, and from there straight across to the eastern edge of the Well. Then down. No complications. We don't stop to engage any Decepticon forces."

"Seems like a big hurry," Ironhide frowned as he studied the map.

Optimus Prime nodded, "It is. Alpha Trion hinted to me that Megatron would be moving to capture the AllSpark soon. That means we move now. Ultra Magnus take your forces and clear the road."

"We're gone," Ultra Magnus saluted and left to gather his troops.

"Bumblebee, you will lead defence at Tyger Pax." The city was just south of the Well of AllSparks and was one of the few areas they held comfortably but there was still a chance the Decepticons would attempt to attack through there, though it was a slim chance. "The rest shall approach from the west, through Simfur, openly as a diversion. I shall enter the Well and activate the Failsafe." He ordered, and the group nodded. "Roll out."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Bumblebee was not a Warrior or Enforcer, he was a scout, he was not made for pure combat and yet here he was, in command of the forces at Tyger Pax. That would have been fine, if Megatron had fallen for Optimus Prime's plan but instead of attacking Simfur where the army awaited, he had come here where Bumblebee commanded only a small force. He had nowhere near the numbers needed to face Megatron himself, but they would die to protect the AllSpark and see it launched safely! He sent the signal and three buildings collapsed, burying Decepticons in the debris. As the first wave approached they opened fire. "Close that gap!" he yelled as Springer went down, opening a gap in their line that the Decepticons were quick to make use of. His desperate messages to Optimus or any of the other Commanders weren't getting through, their communications were being jammed.

They would not fail! The AllSpark could not fall into Decepticon hands, there were a lot of rumours about what Megatron planned to do if he had it and they were all sickening. Every Autobot here would give their lives to ensure that didn't happen but would it be enough? Their only hope was that the others realised communications were being jammed and came to see what was happening.

As the Decepticons came into range Bumblebee abandoned his cover, attacking the closest one. It was a lot bigger than him, but he was faster and more agile, landing hits and taking shots as he moved, finally taking it down. It felt like they had been fighting for Orns when according to his internal chronometer it had only been a few Breems. Even if the others had realised something was wrong it would take them close to a Joor to get there. He didn't think they could hold out that long.

He rolled to his feet and glared as Barricade moved in, Cliffjumper moving in to help him even as he unleashed a barrage from his hand cannons.

The initial salvo knocked Barricade backward, but the Con hadn't survived the war by being vulnerable to anyone's first shot; he rallied and blew Bumblebee away with a brace of missiles. Bumblebee crashed hard into the side of a building and barely rolled away from the second volley that collapsed it on top of him. Then, while Barricade was reloading, Cliffjumper was on him. Close combat wasn't Cliffjumper's strong suit, but he knew what was at stake, and he bravely withstood Barricade's counterattack until Bumblebee dug himself out and closed in on the battling pair. "Watch this!" he sang out, cocking one fist back as he planted both feet and Cliffjumper ducked back out of the way. "See it?"

Barricade looked up from Cliffjumper just in time to take Bumblebee's first punch square in his optics. The second punch drove him to his knees. Countering blindly as his optics reset, Barricade threw Bumblebee off and fired a missile salvo that detonated along the road behind the two Autobots.

"Whoa!" Bumblebee mocked the other Scout. "Mighty tough! What else you got?" He taunted Barricade with hand-cannon blasts that kept the 'Con on the defensive while he could get to arm's length again. "I thought we were going to dance!"

Barricade levelled him with a kick that Bumblebee never saw coming. Then the 'Con was on him, grappling with a squeal and crunch of metal on metal. Bumblebee spun inside Barricade's rush, driving a knee into the Con's midsection. He felt something crunch and hit Barricade again. The Con tried to get his hands up in Bumblebee's face, but Cliffjumper locked Barricade's arms and Bumblebee shoved his hand under Barricade's jaw. "Sorry about this," he said, while Barricade thrashed in Cliffjumper's hold, "but on second thought, I don't have time to dance with you. Someone else is trying to cut in."

He let loose with a hand cannon shot, blasting pieces away from Barricade's face and toppling him straight over backward. Barricade hit the ground with a boom, tried to get up, and went down for good when Bumblebee finalized things with a kick of his own, square to the side of Barricade's smoking head.

"Take it easy for a while," he said to the downed Decepticon. "Maybe I'll be back in a while and we can go again."

He looked around, worried despite his chatter. The fighting had turned into close quarters combat, their line slowly breaking down as the Decepticons greater numbers took their toll. Hearing the scream of Seeker engines, he looked up and his optics widened in despair at seeing them approach. They had no fliers of their own to counter them. "Cover!"

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Optimus Prime stood before the beating heart of Cybertronian identity, he beheld the AllSpark and wished there was any other option, but they were out of time, Megatron was on the move. With him on a ledge cut into the side of the Well was Arcee. Ironhide and Jazz were on lookout up at the Well's rim.

"Let's get it done," Arcee stated.

With a nod, Optimus approached the portal to the chamber of the AllSpark itself. No bot could enter it, and Primes were specifically prevented from executing the failsafe. This was another kind of failsafe, to prevent a corrupt Prime from ejecting the AllSpark for the wrong reasons. It wasn't power that could control the AllSpark, but belief. That was what Megatron would never understand. "Start the code," Optimus said. "Alpha Trion told it to me, and I'll tell it to you. But if you have any reservations about this, tell me now, Arcee. It won't work if you don't believe it's right."

"No problem here," Arcee said firmly as she moved into place. At the edge of the portal was a keypad inscribed with symbols in the original language of the Thirteen. Optimus had never learned it but looking at the symbols he felt their meaning. He was Prime. It was up to him to carry on the legacy, and to do what was necessary to preserve the AllSpark. As he watched, Arcee reached out and touched a key. A hum started up deep in the walls of the Well. It grew in intensity, a vibration Optimus Prime could feel in his legs as he called out the sequence Alpha Trion had taught him, the failsafe code that would eject the AllSpark from Cybertron into the limitless reaches of space. Arcee faithfully touched each symbol as Optimus Prime recited them, and around them the vibrations grew stronger.

" _Prime, we can't raise Bumblebee,"_ Ironhide called over comms, worried.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Run, Autobots!" Megatron roared. Victory was at hand. The Autobots were pressed to the very edge of the Well, hunkered down with the bottomless canyon at their backs and no backup in sight thanks to their jammed communications. Megatron raised his arms. "The AllSpark will be mine! Where are you now, Orion Pax? You have failed for the last time!" Soon he would have the AllSpark and his plans could begin, he would conquer all of Cybertron for his Master, the Fallen. They had lost the Space Bridge technology thanks to Starscream destroying Sentinel's ship but with the Cube they wouldn't need that technology.

At that moment, the surface of Cybertron trembled as the AllSpark itself, so bright no bot's optics could focus on it, burst out of the Well and rose into the sky. It seemed to falter for the briefest moment, as Autobot and Decepticon alike stared dumbfounded—and then it sped up and out into space, leaving only a fading trail of ionized atmosphere. As it grew too small to distinguish, the deafening boom of its passage reverberated across the surface, from Nova Cronum all the way down to Polyhex and the shivered remnants of Crystal City. The shock wave blew like an explosion across Autobot and Decepticon alike, overloading sensors and blasting them off their feet. In the skies the Seekers tumbled out of control, crashing to the surface stunned and damaged.

As the echoes faded, silence fell over the battle site, broken only by one sound… Bumblebee, laughing.

The valiant Autobot got slowly to his feet—foot, rather, since Starscream had landed a strike which had badly damaged his left leg, destroying the knee. Lubricants spilled from the shattered joint down Bumblebee's lower leg. "Sorry to ruin your plans there, Megatron," Bumblebee said before he stumbled, dropping to one knee, he had to keep Megatron distracted until the AllSpark was beyond being tracked easily. "And if you're looking for the AllSpark, you're going to have to go find it," he added. "Arcee fired it off, bam! Gone! Maybe it's you that failed for the last time. Well, no. Probably not. We'll set you up, so you can fail once more, at least." He was babbling, saying whatever came to him, he'd never been in so much pain before and he was losing Energon faster than was healthy.

Megatron, seething, turned away from the fading arc of the AllSpark's passage. He strode up to Bumblebee, who raised one arm, but too slowly. Megatron slapped it aside and kicked Bumblebee's good leg out from under him. "You?" Megatron said. "This barely formed mecha, animated by the dregs of the Well? You kept the AllSpark out of my reach?" he stepped on the Autobot's chassis, pressing down painfully, barely stopping short of crushing his Spark Chamber.

Bumblebee grunted in pain, refusing to scream. "Yeah," Bumblebee he wheezed out. "Me." He raised his head defiantly, staring into crimson optics.

Megatron seized Bumblebee around the neck and dragged him upright, ignoring the fluids flowing down his arm from the injured bot. "You talk too much, Autobot."

"Everybody says that," Bumblebee said. He tried to raise his arms but could not; the damage from Starscream's airstrike and then Megatron's crushing foot was too severe. "Coming from you, I'll take it. Hey, did you see that AllSpark? That was something, the way it flew out into space completely out of your reach—"

Megatron squeezed, cutting off Bumblebee's voice. "You mock me, mech?" He squeezed. Something snapped in Bumblebee's throat. "That is the last time you mock anyone." Slowly, slowly Megatron's fingers tightened. A series of crackles escaped Bumblebee's mouth. He held Megatron's gaze, never looking away. "You could die here, but the last thing your pitiful librarian leader needs is another martyr," Megatron said. "You live as a reminder that I can kill when I please, and grant mercy when I please. But there is a cost. And for you, the cost is that voice of yours that you love so much." He shifted his grip to the front of Bumblebee's throat and crushed the vocoder inside. Sparks shot from his fist and Bumblebee spasmed. Megatron shoved him away and he collapsed, Energon and other vital fluids leaking from his throat and the rest of his wounds. "Let that be your story," Megatron said. "Tell it how you may." With that he turned, assuming alt-form and leaving the mangled Bumblebee there trying to get to his feet.

Bumblebee's comm crackled with Ironhide's voice. _"Bumblebee. Report. Come in. Engagement over here. Decepticons have retreated. Please advise your location."_

Bumblebee made static noises, trying to respond even as the surviving members of his team began moving, tending to their wounds, Cliffjumper and Springer rushing to Bumblebee's side.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Getting some interference here," Ironhide called out, worry growing the longer Bumblebee was taking to report in. He and Prowl locked optics as Optimus Prime, Arcee, and Jazz emerged from the Well of AllSparks, flush with their triumph. Ironhide tried again. "Bumblebee. Report."

" _Cliffjumper Sir. Megatron and the Decepticons have retreated. Urgent medical aide requested."_

Ironhide frowned at the answer, looking at Ratchet who began calling in his medics. "Where is Bumblebee?"

" _Down. Megatron…"_ Cliffjumper trailed off, unable to say it. "Send medics now." He wasn't a medic, but he would do his best to keep Bumblebee online until help arrived.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Outside the doors to Ratchet's domain a large group of Autobots awaited news. Optimus Prime was guilt ridden, he should have given command to Ironhide or Prowl. He was the reason Bumblebee was in that room, three medics working to keep him online. He had caught a glimpse of the young Scout as he was carried in…covered in Energon, an arm hanging almost unconnected to his frame. He should have sent more troops to back him up, but he had been so sure that Tyger Pax was safe, instead they had ended up facing Megatron himself. Most of those assigned to Tyger Pax had fallen, buying time while they launched the AllSpark. Soon he would have to send some of his people out into the Galaxy to track the AllSpark and keep it safe but for now all he could do was wait for word on Bumblebee and the three others undergoing surgery in an attempt to save their lives.

 _TBC…_

 _Please review and let me know what you think_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: not mine_

 _Does no one like this? Only one review over on archive and none on ffnet. I've noticed a drop in reviews in all my stories, why?_

 _Many fics use various kinds of bonds and I will be using bonds too cause I think they're neat._

 **Chapter 2**

They all straightened as the heavily reinforced doors opened and Ratchet emerged, looking exhausted. He looked at the group and nodded. "Hoist didn't make it. The others are stable," he informed them.

"Bumblebee will be alright?" Cliffjumper asked. "the damage…"

"Didn't reach his Spark case, thank Primus."

"But?" Optimus knew his old friend was holding something back.

"His vocoder has been crushed beyond my ability to repair. Even if I could we do not have the necessary parts. It needs a full replacement and the only way to do that at the moment is with the vocoder of a fallen soldier. I can't see Bumblebee agreeing to that," Ratchet admitted and they all stared in horror. Their entire society was built on communication and Bumblebee had been chattering away since he was a Sparkling, even if back then it had been chirps, clicks and whistles.

Optimus leant heavily against the wall, why had he sent Bumblebee? But they had all though Tyger Pax was the safe option, as the most secure approach no one had thought Megatron would attempt that route. "His internal comm?"

"Suffered only minor damage, which is reparable. He lost most of his Energon, but he responded well to transfusions," Ratchet assured them. "Now, anyone not injured and awaiting repairs, get lost. My patients need peace to recover."

They quickly scattered, not wanting to risk his wrath, all but Optimus and Ironhide. Ratchet sighed and nodded, waving them into the ward. They both moved directly to the berth where Bumblebee lay unmoving, being kept in medical stasis for now.

Ironhide reached out and rested a hand over his Spark, relieved to feel the strength of it, using the now weak Guardian bond to reassure himself that his Sparkling would survive. Bumblebee was so young, before the war he would still be living with his Guardians as he settled into an occupation, barely an adult. The war had forced him to grow up fast, taught as a Sparkling what to do during an attack, who to run to in an emergency and then as he'd grown up the lessons had intensified until he was able to learn how to fight. He'd been such a cheeky, sneaky little Youngling who was a natural at stealth. When the time came for him to go into an adult frame, that of a Scout had been the obvious choice, beyond the fact that they had limited supplies with which to build his frame. He might be taller than Jazz, which made him very happy, but Bumblebee was still a minibot. Ironhide was just relieved Chromia was not here to see their Sparkling in such condition, then again it might end the war if they told her who had done such damage. Even Megatron knew to be wary of an angered Femme.

Optimus stared down at the battered body of his best Scout, of the mech who had brought so much joy to his faction since he had been found. He knew he would never forget the sight or forgive himself. Bumblebee had volunteered but he had still agreed to the division of forces. He had made many decisions in the Vorns since becoming Prime and leader of the Autobots that he regretted, but the events surrounding the launch of the AllSpark were the worst. If he had been a better Prime perhaps the launch would never have been necessary at all. He feared his Brothers reaction to what he had done, he had looked over the reports, Megatron had nearly killed Bumblebee in his rage, torturing him instead. What else would he do to make Optimus pay?

' _Prowl to Prime.'_

' _Optimus, what is it Prow?'_ he answered the comm call.

' _We have confirmation, Megatron has left Cybertron to track the AllSpark,'_ Prowl answered.

Optimus was surprised, he had assumed Megatron would go after it eventually, but so quickly? _'Understood. Send out the call to all Commanders recalling them here.'_

' _Yes sir.'_ With that the communications link was cut.

Ironhide looked up at him, questioning and Optimus looked back down at Bumblebee. "Megatron has left in search of the AllSpark. I have ordered all commanders to return to Iacon."

"Humph, better hope Bumblebee is up before Chromia gets back."

Optimus nodded and then left the medbay to return to his office, he had much to consider before his commanders arrived. He had not expected Megatron to leave so swiftly, without taking time to fully plan for future events. So different to the once thorough mech he had called Brother. Megatron had always had a temper but so did Optimus under the right circumstances. He hadn't known Megatron until he had been revealed as a Prime and Megatron had been named Lord High Protector at the same time, as his equal. Megatron had led the Militia while Optimus had overseen the Priests and sciences. They had worked well together for decavorns, had shared a brother bond and then…Megatron had torn their bond apart, blocking him out before turning on him. It had been a shock and to this day Optimus was sure something or someone had influenced his brother, making him into the monster he was now.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He came to awareness slowly, Processors slow and fuzzy but he soon realised he wasn't alone, there was another presence with him. Ratchet…it was Ratchet so he was probably injured, he accessed his memory and could feel Ratchet simply observing for now. He accessed the most recent memory file and fought not to panic, feeling Ratchet help sooth him. The AllSpark was lost to space and Megatron…

' _Easy Youngling,'_ Ratchet soothed.

' _My vocoder?'_ Bee asked, not sure he wanted to know.

' _Crushed, we couldn't repair it,'_ Ratchet admitted, keeping the younger mech calm using medical overrides. His systems had undergone enough stress over the last joors, he would not risk losing him. _'Your internal comm was damaged but repairs are almost complete. We will help you adapt,'_ he swore. As Bee calmed he began slowly bringing him out of medical stasis until blue optics flickered on and Ratchet withdrew from his Processors, removing the hard-line cord.

Bumblebee blinked as his optics on-lined, staring up at the ceiling of the medbay. He was sore, able to feel fresh welds crisscrossing his frame, but he didn't feel as bad as he knew he should which meant he had a pain chip in. he looked around, seeing the Energon line running into his main port.

"Don't even think of moving yet," Ratchet warned as he checked the monitors again. "Be good and you can be released to your quarters in three joors." He patted shoulder armour gently before going to check on his other patients.

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Jazz paused as he spotted the yellow and black form sitting in front of the large window overlooking the Iacon skyline. He ducked into the rec room to grab two cubes of Energon and then went back to the observation room and sat beside him, holding out one of the cubes which Bumblebee slowly took from him. "How ya doin?" he asked, and Bee tried to answer, a grinding noise coming from the area of his vocoder before he activated the comm.

' _Fine,'_ he sent, hating the blandness of a comm.

"Liar," Jazz grinned and then flipped his visor up to make eye contact with the younger Autobot. "You know, I looked it up, other mechs have been injured like this in war. Wanna learn?" Jazz offered, and Bumblebee blinked before nodding.

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Optimus stood in the hanger, keen optics locked on the approaching shuttle, and the growing warmth in his Spark as she got ever closer. It had been almost a Decivorn since the AllSpark had been launched and with this arrival all his commanders would be on base, allowing them to meet and plan. The shuttle touched down lightly and then the ramp lowered and he saw his beloved for the first time in over two Vorns. Her white and pink armour was a bit dented and dirty, but she was still the most beautiful being he had ever seen. Chromia appeared behind her and grinned before slipping past them and out of the hanger to where her own Spark mate awaited. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, both just enjoying the moment.

"Rumours are flying everywhere Optimus. Now you have recalled us… is it true? The AllSpark?"

"There was no other way my love, Alpha Trion himself suggested it. Megatron has already gone after it."

"Then we have a lot of work ahead of us. But there is time alone first?"

"The meeting is not for a three joors."

"Good," she grinned, and they walked to their quarters.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

 _I am in the process of trying to find somewhere to live and then move, plus assignments so writing is going to be slow._

 **Chapter 3**

Optimus looked around the table at his Commanders, taking in their shock and horror that the AllSpark was gone from their world. Elita-One sat at his right, Prowl to his left. Ultra Magnus, Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet, Red Alert, Silverbolt and Chromia filled the rest of the seats.

"What's done is done. Optimus, what is the plan now?" Prowl spoke over the others.

Optimus nodded at his second in command and lead tactician, he could always trust the Praxian to cut through to the heart of the matter. "That is why we are here. Without the AllSpark, Cybertron will die. We must recover it and keep it out of Decepticon hands. And there are still forces here that must be dealt with." He got the meeting back on track and they began making plans, Optimus would obviously be the one to retrieve the Cube but until they had an idea of where it was he would remain and continue to lead their forces. They had two ships, if they could be made space worthy they could be sent out to search for signs. The meeting finally ended, and Optimus went to address the troops. Megatron having left the planet made them cheer but the knowledge that the AllSpark was gone had not gone over well. Without it they were a dying race, their world cold, dark and eventually it would be unable to sustain life.

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Optimus stood, looking out over Iacon, remembering the once bustling, peaceful city it had been. He felt his love join him there, her arm brushing his.

"Something is troubling you."

"Many things are troubling me," he admitted.

"Are you having doubts about the launch?"

"Since the moment Alpha Trion suggested the plan," he looked down at her. "Have I condemned out people, our world to extinction?"

"Better that then what Megatron would have done my love," she assured him. "We will win, and we will restore Cybertron."

He nodded slowly, allowing himself to bask in her certainty and her trust in him. "You do not have to be the one to take the second ship." It was as close as he would come to asking her to remain at his side, but she understood.

"My squad is best for the job and we both know it. We have time, the ships still need work," she told him, flirtatiously and Optimus nodded, leaving his office for their quarters. He would take every klick he could get with her.

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Ironhide watched as Chromia worked with Bumblebee, furthering his skills with using sound bites to communicate. It hurt, to see him so injured, but Bumblebee wasn't letting it handicap him in any way. it wasn't just learning to live without his voice though, he'd started training with Jazz and Prowl, two of the best close combat fighters they had. His defeat at Megatron's hands had obviously affected their bubbly Youngling, making him push himself to become better at fighting. Ironhide hated the idea of Bumblebee ever being put in that situation again but they were at war and it could happen. He would rip Megatron's Spark out himself for what he had done to Bumblebee, for what he had done to their people.

He had known Megatron before the war, and that Mech bore no resemblance to the mad monster he had become. That Megatron would never have harmed Bumblebee, would never have caused the attack that had ripped Bumblebee's Creator's from him. He didn't understand how Megatron had changed so much, what had caused it but it had gotten to the point where he didn't really care anymore, all he wanted was to end the war and live in peace with his Spark Mate and Bumblebee.

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Optimus watched at the ship launched, feeling the bond to Elita-One stretch and fade until it was only the sense that she was alive. He knew Ironhide was feeling the same thing as they stood side by side, optics locked on the ship for as long as they could see it. Silverbolt had an escort on the ship and they had lain several false trails for Starscream's forces to follow, increasing the odds of the ship making it. They only relaxed when the ship was out of the system and safe from the Decepticons, until they managed their own launches. The second ship would be launched in an Orn and then it would become a waiting game.

He prayed to Primus that soon the war would be over soon and that his people would know peace again. Then they could all come home again.

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They all stared in awe and terror as fire blazed across the sky, hunters clutching at stone spears. The noise was deafening as it flew overhead, the sky burning until there was as flash on the horizon and a loud boom. They waited, but nothing else happened and they went on with their lives, gradually forgetting what had happened.

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Time passed as the search for the AllSpark continued. Life on Cybertron became harder, bleaker but they did their best to keep spirits up as the search drew out into Vorns and then eventually Decavorns.

Starscream left the planet on board a ship he named the Nemesis with most of Megatron's elite forces, leaving Shockwave in command of those who remained. The majority of those aboard were in stasis, conserving Energon, knowing their search could last for many Decavorns.

Shockwave was not an imaginative foe but he still kept the war going.

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When the sky burned again no one was left alive who had seen it the first time. Their descendants watched in awe as fire streaked across the sky, but they never heard when it crashed through the ice several thousand miles north.

When he landed Megatron was critically low in Energon, his armour damaged by the almost uncontrolled re-entry. The Fallen's anger at his failure hadn't helped matters at all. The freezing cold was seeping in and he struggled to free himself from the ice, but his movements slowed until finally he was forced into emergency stasis in an effort to protect Spark and Processors.

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Optimus took one last look around what had been his office for Decavorns before leaving it and heading down to where the others waited. They boarded the newly named Ark II and then launched, heading quickly for space. They only rarely heard from the other two ships and neither had found the AllSpark. Cybertron was all but dead but they had no way to evacuate all those who still lived there. Ultra Magnus remained behind to watch over their people and to try to find them a new home until Cybertron could be restored. Optimus stood on the bridge, watching until the planet was gone from even his keen optics. Would he ever see his home again?

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

 _There's a timeskip from the last chapter as there is just too much time between events for me to fill. From the timeline I found, the Allspark was sent out around 10,000BC and the movies aren't till 2007. Consider this a bit of a filler_

 **Chapter 4**

Optimus stared out into the vastness of space. They had been in space for ten Decavorns already and where no closer to finding the AllSpark or Megatron. They rarely received communications from home, the longer they were gone the less frequent the messages, and what they did get was not encouraging. The fighting was becoming worse than ever, their people ever dwindling in number and being forced from the surface. He knew his beloved still lived but that was all their Spark bond allowed at such great distances. He moved from the view of space to look down over the bridge, seeing the various mechs at their stations. Morale was starting to fall, and he didn't blame them, he had thought there would have been some sort of sign by now.

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Ironhide laughed as Bumblebee danced happily while Sideswipe got back up, shocked the small scout had managed to take him down. Ironhide was proud of Bee's ever-growing skills. He'd come a long from the barely alive mech at Tyger Pax, but they all still missed his voice. He prayed the youngster never faced an opponent like Megatron again but if he did, he would be far more prepared for such an event.

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"Prime," Prowl greeted as his commander joined him in his office.

"What is it?" Optimus asked his tactician. Prowl brought up the sensor data and they examined it together. "Thoughts?"

"It could be a trap, the Decepticons know we seek the Cube," Prowl warned, and Optimus nodded. "However, it could also be a real trace. In either case, it would be best to send a scout to see."

"Agreed, I shall ask for volunteers."

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Optimus watched as his Weapons Specialist and close friend blew away targets and he didn't blame him. He should have known when he asked for volunteers amongst the Scouts on board that this would happen. His Spark was heavy with regret and yet he knew what the Scout had said was correct, he was the best of those on this ship and Optimus knew he was probably the best scout they had in their army. That did not make his volunteering any easier, even after so long the memories of his almost dead body being rushed to Ratchet stayed with them. "Ironhide," he called, and the shots slowed.

"Why him?" Ironhide demanded as he kept shooting.

"A scout must be sent, and you know he is the best we have. Do you think I want to send him? We know Megatron followed the Cube and I would never wish for them to meet again."

"But you'll still send him."

"Do you think I could hold him back?"

"You're the Prime."

"And he would resent such an order, especially if the one sent in his place was killed."

Ironhide slumped but nodded, Bumblebee would not thank them for holding him back.

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Bee looked around his quarters, triple checking he had everything he wanted to take with him. Who knew when, or if, he would return to this room? He knew it could be a trap, that he could die out there, alone, but if it was real…they could finally go home. He missed Chromia, missed his friends who had been left behind or on other ships. He made sure everything was safely stored in subspace before going to ensure he had enough Energon rations as well as let Ratchet check him over as well as ensure his protoform was in perfect shape for the trip after he reabsorbed what he could of his armour. Once that was done, he headed for the bay where he found several of the others waiting to see him off.

Ironhide was the first to move to Bumblebee's side, already missing the normal bright yellow paint. "Be careful out there young one," he warned gruffly, getting a cheeky chirp back.

' _I will,'_ Bee promised over comms. Then Jazz was pushing in to say his goodbyes and the others soon joined in.

Finally, Bumblebee moved away to stand in front of his Prime who stared down at him with warm blue optics. "Be safe Bumblebee, our hopes go with you."

Then they all watched as he moved away, taking on his transition form, looking like a comet as he took off into the dark, cold of space, all alone.

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He'd been following the signs and trail for so long, he missed everyone, but he didn't dare risk sending messages. He was too far away now for comms to work and sometimes he regretted volunteering. But he'd had two run-ins with Decepticons over the Decavorns and he was positive he was getting close. Every Orn the trail got stronger. It had been just over four Decavorns since he had set off and sometimes, he wondered if they thought he had perished in the vastness of space.

He entered a system with a yellow star and multiple bodies but more than that…life! on the reaches of the system he found lifeless metal husks, small and unpowered but they had power once. And there were signals spreading out from one of the planets, basic radio but the contents unlike anything he'd really seen before. He slowed his approach, watching carefully for any sign of the enemy as he moved closer to the third planet from the star. He continually scanned and analysed every signal he could intercept, working to decode them and perhaps the local languages, to try and understand what kinds of life forms lived on the planet. The planet was rings in satellites, none of which answered his hesitant calls. No…these were just soulless drones, used to transmit data. And as he began decoding visual signals, he was surprised to realise the life of the planet was organic and so different to his own. And yet…there was something almost Cybertronian in the signals. It was a puzzle but also gave him hope he had finally found what he was looking for. Using their signals as cover he sent out a swift, compressed burst of data, aimed for the ship. He remained in space for several Orns before moving closer and choosing a potential landing place. These humans did not know of other races in space, but the planet was aware of meteors, so he would mimic one.

The streak of fire across the night sky had many people pointing excitedly but by the time anyone got to the remote location to look he was long gone, and it was assumed the meteor had burnt up before hitting the ground.

 _TBC…_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

 _If you're expecting cannon Sam, sorry but there's no way I could write him outside of copying the script for his every scene because his whole family is given dumb lines and reactions._

 **Chapter 5**

Bumblebee watched the paved routes, seeing vehicles traversing them, there was no Spark or intelligence within, in fact scans and his own optics revealed organics operating the vehicles. It was all so strange. He finally spotted something he could work with, liking the colours and trans-scanned it quickly, transforming before joining the other vehicles.

He didn't know that he was only ten minutes ahead of a mass of official vehicles who arrived at the crash site to find familiar energy readings off the charts and burning plants.

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An Orn later, Bee was still lost, the planet just had too many signals to try and isolate those he was looking for. He'd nearly been in trouble several times until he managed to get his holographic systems up and running, using one to mimic a driver. He'd learnt a lot, like the dominate species called themselves humans and their planet Earth, not very creative. They were a young species compared to his and didn't even live two Vorns. To make up for that short life they did everything fast. He also found the way they procreated rather…messy and not at all nice.

Their technology shared similarities with his which meant he had to be on the right track, the AllSpark was either here or had been here in recent history since history said technology like computers had only been around for around what they called a century. If the Cube was hidden, he wasn't sure how he would find it.

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Sam Witwicky slumped back on his bed, frustrated. His Dad had promised him a car which was great! He'd managed to save the $2000 which was his contribution, but he needed one more A and the only assignment coming up was the genealogy project for Mr Hosney, not his favourite subject or teacher. Who in his family tree was actually interesting? Both sides were equally crazy…and he knew he shouldn't think that, but it was true. He was honestly embarrassed by his parents, it was like they'd never grown up or something. He blinked from his position across the bed as he spotted an old box under his bed. He wriggled forward and yanked it out, flipping it open to see a pair of cracked old glasses and some brass instruments. Well, guess he knew who he was doing the assignment on now and…it wasn't like the family wanted this stuff. He got up and turned on his computer, snapping photos of everything he logged into eBay and began putting them up for sale. He was just glad he'd managed to change his username from the joke one Miles had given him. LadiesMan217 was not his idea of a sensible username and was asking for trouble if his Mom or any female ever saw it.

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Bumblebee was surprised when he got an alert from a background search he was running, he brought up the results to find an eBay page, an electronic marketplace. And right there for sale was a pair of human eyewear with Cybertronian glyphs etched into the glass. He began digging into the accounts, searching for the user data.

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Sarah smiled as her husband finally appeared on the computer screen, holding Annabelle up to so Will could see her and he smiled, looking tired, dirty but also happy.

"Ahahaha! My ladies!" he greeted them.

"Look," she shifted Annabelle who cooed at her Dad.

"Oh, my goodness. Look at her. She's getting so big. Look at those cheeks. I just wanna chew on them. Baby, we made a good-looking kid. I know that people say that all the time, but... Wow, we made one good-looking kid. Nice work."

"She has your laugh," Sarah told him, it was something she missed a lot with him gone. It had been hard, having Annabelle without him at her side but he had been unable to get leave for the birth.

"She laughed?"

"Her first one, yeah."

"You la- you sure she didn't just fart?" he asked warily, and she laughed.

"No, she's a lady," she chided him as Annabelle began to cry. "She doesn't know you yet, but she will." The image began to break up and she frowned, why now? "Will?" the screen went back but she could hear scratchy noises.

"Sarah? Hey, Sarah, if you can hear me, I love…" it went silent and she sighed, standing up to go get Annabelle a bottle to settle her. She hated being so far apart and she had this sick feeling in her stomach.

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"Okay, mister Witwicky, you're up," Hosney called, not looking at all interested.

Sam took a deep breath and gathered his props, walking down to the front to set it up. "Sorry, I got a lot of stuff."

"Watch this," Trent whispered to Mikaela.

"Oh-kay. For my family genea- ah-" he was going to be sick, he hated public speaking. No, he needed that A! the students laughed as a spit ball hit him and Hosney actually sat up and looked around.

"Who did- who did that? People! Responsibility."

"Okay. Um." He paused for another deep breath, trying to ignore the other students. "So, for my family genealogy report, I decided to do it on my great-great-grandfather, who was a famous man, Captain Archibald Witwicky. Very famous explorer. In fact, he was one of the first... to explore... the Arctic Circle, which is a big deal. In 1897, he took forty-one brave sailors straight into the Arctic Shelf." He held up the old map, showing the route they had taken and explaining how hard it had been for them to try and cut the ice from around the ship to move deeper. "No sacrifice, no victory! That was what he would tell them, it kind of became the family motto. So that's the story, right? And here we have some of the basic instruments and tools used by nineteenth century seamen." He paused as they laughed. "This here is the quadrant, and this is a sextant." More laughter, wonderful. "These are pretty cool. These are my grandfather's glasses, they've seen many cool things. Um, unfortunately, my great-great-grandfather, the genius that he was, wound up going blind and crazy in a psycho ward, drawing these strange symbols and babbling on about some, uh, giant ice man that he thought he'd discovered…" and the bell rang.

"Okay. Might be a pop quiz tomorrow. Might not. Sleep in fear tonight."

"It's all for sale on eBay if you're interested," Sam said as the others rushed by before packing it all up.

"Sam?"

Sam grabbed his bag and offered a hopeful smile. "Yeah. Sorry, sorry. Okay. Pretty good, right?"

"Uh... I'd say a solid B-minus."

"A B-minus?"

"Well there wasn't much to the story, it was more show than tell."

"Okay, you see my father? He's the guy in the green car," Sam pointed out the window.

"Nh. Yeah."

"He said, "Son, I'm gonna buy you a car. But I want you to bring me two thousand dollars, and three As." Okay? I got the two thousand dollars and I got two As. Okay? Here's the dream. Your B-minus. Poof. Dream gone. Kaput. Sir, please, I did look for more information but it's like he vanished after being put in the looney bin." Sam argued. Hosney stared at him before finally nodding and Sam grinned. "Thanks!"

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"I got a little surprise for you, son," Ron offered, driving towards the Porsche store and Sam shook his head, used to his Dad. 'Yeah, a little surprise."

"You think that's funny? Where are we really going?"

"Yeah, I think it's funny. You need to relax a bit Sam."

"What's wrong with you?" he groaned. Instead they drove into a rundown lot and Sam sighed, he should have known this was coming. "Here? You said- you said half a car, not half a piece of crap, Dad."

"When I was your age, I'd have been happy with four wheels and an engine."

"Do these things even run? I'm going to be spending more on fixing it and never get to drive it. You want me to live that life? Hmm?"

"No sacrifice-"

"Yeah, no victory."

"No victory."

"You know, I got it. The old Witwicky motto, Dad." He got out of the car, pushing away the disappointment.

"Right." Ron got out and looked around.

"Gentlemen. Bobby Bolivia, like the country, except without the runs," he laughed at his own joke. "How can I help you?"

"Well, my son here... looking to buy his first car." He clapped Sam on the shoulder and Sam managed a weak grin.

"You come to see me?"

"I had to."

"That practically makes us family. Uncle Bobby B, baby. Uncle Bobby B."

"Sam." He slipped out of his Dad's grip, eyes scanning the lot for something that might actually run.

"Sam, let me talk to you. Sam, your first enchilada of freedom awaits underneath one of those hoods. Let me tell you something, son. A driver don't pick the car. The car'll pick the driver."

"Mm." Sam wasn't really listening as he wandered the rows. None of them noticed a faded yellow and black car drive itself into an empty spot.

"It's a mystical bond between man and machine. Son, I'm a lot of things, but a liar's not one of them. Especially not in front of my mammy. That's my mammy. Hey, Mammy! Ooh don't be like that. If I had a rock, I'd bust your head, bitch. I tell you, man, she deaf, you know? Well, over here, every piece of car a man might want or need."

Sam finally stopped in front of a Camero, running a hand over the paint job. "This ain't bad. This one's got racing stripes."

"Yeah. It got racing- Yeah, what's this? What the heck is this? I don't know nothing about this car. Manny!"

"What?"

"What is this? This car! Check it out!"

"I don't know, boss! I've never seen it! That's loco!"

"Don't go Ricky Ricardo on me, Manny! Find out!"

Sam ignored the yelling to settle in the driver's seat, finding it was perfect. He ran his hands over the steering wheel, finding an odd symbol. "Feels good."

"How much?" Ron asked, seeing Sam was finally getting interested.

"Well, considering the semi-classic nature of the vehicle, with the slick wheels and the custom paint job..."

"Yeah, but the paint's faded," Sam argued, great, the guy was a conman.

"Y-yeah, but it's custom."

"It's custom faded?" he snorted.

"Well, this is your first car. I wouldn't expect you to understand. Five grand."

"No, I'm not paying over four. Sorry," Ron shook his head.

"Kid, come on, get out. Get out the car."

"No, no, no. You said cars pick their drivers." This one, it just felt…right.

"Well, sometimes they pick a driver with a cheap-ass father. Out the car. Now, this one here for four Gs is a beaut." He turned to the one next to it and Sam grimaced as he finally gave up and got out.

"There's a Fiesta with racing stripes over there," Ron offered in consolation and Sam shook his head.

"No, I don't want a Fiesta with racing stripes."

"This is a classic engine right here. I sold a car the other day-" Bolivia yelped as the door slammed shut, hit by the passenger door of the Camero which had apparently swung open when Sam shut the driver door.

"Geez. Holy cow," Ron winced in sympathy.

"No, no, no. No worries."

"You all right?"

"I'll get a sledgehammer and knock this right out. Hey, hey, Manny! Get your clown cousin and get some hammers and come bang this stuff out, baby!"

"Greater than man..." the radio crackled, and Sam looked down, frowning, no…that was crazy.

"That one's my favourite, drove all the way from Alabamy."

"Go..." the radio crackled again and then there was a pulse of noise and they all hit the deck as windows across the lot exploded. Sam stared at yellow paint with wide eyes.

"Woah!" Ron covered Sam, protecting his son. It stopped and they all stood up, staring at the damage.

"Four thousand!" Bolivia gasped and Ron frowned but Sam nodded.

He quickly signed the paperwork and accepted the keys. "I'll meet you at home Dad."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, got enough to fill the tank and get a basic wash," Sam assured him, so Ron left, and Sam got in. he ran his fingers over the wheel and then started the engine and drove off the lot. There was something odd about this car, but he didn't mind, he felt safe behind the wheel.

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Bee was very happy with himself, he'd gotten himself bought as the boy's car. He just had to work out how to go about first contact with him, to ask for the glasses. It would be so much easier if he had his voice back, but he could work with the radio. But not yet, let the boy get used to his presence first, besides he had said he'd get him a wash and that would be nice. His good mood was helped by the fact he'd received a transmission last night, the advanced group was approaching. He'd see his Caretaker again soon! He didn't know who was in the group, but he didn't care, he just wanted to see his friends again.

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Sarah dropped into the chair, eyes locked on the screen, hand over her mouth to keep from screaming in denial. No….not Will, please not Will.

"At this time, we can't confirm whether there were any survivors."

"Oh, my God," she choked before reaching for her daughter, seeking comfort. "Daddy's gonna be okay," she whispered, praying it was true. He had to come back to them.

 _TBC…._


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

 _I am trying to find a SG-1 story I really enjoyed but I can't find anymore. Please let me know if you know this one and where to find it. Fire of the Storm: When SG-1 is stranded on an alien world with a group of Tok'ra by a plasma storm, they learn much more about the Tok'ra than they ever wanted to know. As the Tok'ra succumb to a biological event that SG-1 doesn't know about, SG-1 is in danger. Can they escape before the storm breaks? Or is the question... will they? NC-17. Sam/Martouf/Lantash, Sam/Malek, Daniel/Anise/Freya, others_

 **Chapter 6**

Bumblebee wasn't quite sure what to think of the current situation. There was an organic lifeform sitting inside of him and he was allowing him to control his vehicle mode. Of course, if anything dangerous happened he would simply take back that control. They pulled into what a sign advertised as a carwash and Sam turned his engine off before getting out. He watched curiously as the boy prepared a hose, bucket and some sort of cleaning material. It would be nice to have his paint job cleaned. Soon warm cleanser filled water was being scrubbed against his paintwork, cleaning off dirt and grime and it felt nice. He'd been alone so long that having help cleaning up, even if it was a stranger of a very different species, well it was something he was going to enjoy. It would be even better if he could transform, the boy was small enough to get all the tough to reach crevasses in his armour. He listened as the boy…Sam, he should use his name if he was going to protect him and find a way to retrieve the glasses…rambled softly to himself as he worked. He heard all about how embarrassing his caretakers', humans called them parents, were to him, acting more like children than he did. It was amusing to find that despite the differences some of the complaints a Youngling had about their Caretakers remained the same.

Eventually he was clean and dry, even his interior had been cleaned, and Sam got in to drive, eventually pulling into the drive of a two-story dwelling. This must be the Witwicky home then, from the searching he'd done on the internet it appeared to be what humans classed as middle-class. He quietly scanned it and those around, adding all the data to his memory, so far it appeared there were no Decepticons nearby. He would still need to be cautious, if he found and traced those glasses then so would they. He would have to find some way of revealing himself to Sam that would not panic him. That would take some consideration. He fell into a light recharge as night fell and the household retired to recharge as well.

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Sam woke and stretched before getting up to dress for the day. He checked his eBay page but there were no watchers let alone bids. He hadn't really expected any, Archibald Witwicky had been forgotten by most historians for his contribution due to ending up in the looney bin. The odds of a real collector spotting his items were very low, but he did need the money. He grabbed one of Mojo's pain pills and gave it to him, petting him for a bit before grabbing his wallet and leaving his room to grab a quick breakfast before heading out, he was meant to be picking Miles up soon. He could hear his parents talking from the kitchen and when he opened the door, he saw his Dad laying the new path.

"Ron, this one is uneven."

"Yeah. Probably."

"This one is wobbly," she complained as she tested another paver.

"Yeah. I'll take care of that real soon," he muttered as he kept working.

"Couldn't we have hired a professional?" Judy argued as she looked at his work.

Ron laughed sarcastically, even as Sam began walking from the house to the driveway. "Ah, Sam..."

"What?"

"...I do not like footprints on my grass."

"What foot- there's no footprints," Sam looked at the grass in confusion before looking at his child of a Father, why did everything have to be so difficult?

"That's why I built my path. So why don't you go from my grass onto my path, okay?" Ron pointed to the path where Judy was still checking his work and complaining.

Sam rolled his eyes. "It's family grass, Dad."

"Well, when you own your own grass, you'll understand."

Sam bit back a groan even as Mojo finally emerged from the house and hobbled up into his elevated doghouse. His Mom moved to attach his shiny collar and he shook his head. "You're putting girl jewellery on a boy dog. He's got enough self-esteem issues as a Chihuahua, Mom."

"That's his bling... I want you home at eleven o'clock!" she called after him as Sam as he finally made it to his car.

"Yeah, all right," he agreed as he got in.

"Eleven o'clock!"

"Please, for the love of God, drive safely," Judy yelled as the car sputtered and coughed to life.

"Seat belt on!" Ron added.

"Wow. You are so cheap," she turned on Ron as Sam drove away, glaring at her husband. If anything happened to Sam it would be his fault for buying such a piece of garbage.

"Well, it's his first car. It's supposed to be like that," Ron shrugged.

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"I've never seen a weapons system like. this. The thermal shows this weird aura around the exoskeleton like it's cloaked by some kind of invisible force field," Epps admitted as they paused in some shelter to rest from the sun, sharing their water around. They were missing a lot of their normal gear for such a long hike through the desert and were having to conserve what they had.

"That's impossible. There's no such thing as invisible force fields except in, like, comic book stuff, right?" Donnelly asked in confusion.

"Man, I don't know," Figueroa offered.

"What is that?" Lennox glanced over at him tiredly.

"My mama, she had the gift, you know? She saw things. I got the gene, too, you know. And that thing that attacked us? I got a feeling it ain't over," he hid a shiver of dread.

"How about you use those magic voodoo powers and get us the hell out of here, huh?" Donnelly snapped.

Will ignored the arguing, eyes scanning the desert. He agreed with Figueroa, whatever that had been, it wasn't over. Was it tracking them? They needed back up and a way out of here, fast. Epps cleared his throat and Will looked over at his friend and second in command.

"When I took that picture, I think it saw me. It looked right at me."

"All right, we got to get this thing back to the Pentagon right away. They've got to know what we're dealing with here," Will ordered firmly, they needed him to remain calm and in control so that was what he would do.

"My radio's fried. I got no communication with aerial," Epps offered, and Will looked down at the only civilian with them, mustering a smile for the terrified kid.

"Hey, Mahfouz. You know, how far do you live from here?"

"Not far. Just up that mountain," the boy offered, he really wanted to go home.

"Do they have a phone?"

"Yes," he nodded in relief to knowing the answer and being able to help them.

"All right, let's hit it," he hefted his weapon and they moved the boy into the centre of the group to protect him, having to move slower because of him but they would never even think of leaving him behind. Will glanced back, eyes scanning for any hint of something following them and while he saw nothing it did nothing to make him feel at ease.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sam grinned as Miles piled into the car, eyes wide. He was years off affording his own car, so it was great that Sam had gotten one. It sure beat getting everywhere on their bikes. "So, what do you want to do today?" Sam asked as he pulled out of Miles' drive.

Miles shrugged as he fiddled with the radio and opened his window to let the breeze in. "Just drive around?"

"As long as you pay for some of the gas," Sam answered, and Miles nodded so Sam began heading out of town. They hit the highway and drove for a few hours before Sam pulled in at the lake, only to see a bunch of familiar vehicles.

"Dude, are you sure we're invited to this party?" Miles asked in confusion and Sam sighed, he'd forgotten hearing about this at school, but they were here now.

"It's a lake. Public property," he answered as he parked. He spotted Mikaela and swallowed, she was the hottest girl in school, everyone wanted to date her. She was with Trent though and he was a complete jerk. Not like he had a chance with her, he was a scrawny geek and he knew it, least that was what the girls saw. None of them cared about his good grades, especially in maths and science. he was good with computers too, though he kept away from anything like hacking. "Come on, lets head for the lake," he got out and Miles followed, heading down the hill towards the lake and away from the jocks. They had fun climbing trees and just messing around, only looking up at the street when they heard an argument and then saw Mikaela storm off.

"Evil jock concubine meltdown," Miles laughed, and Sam sighed.

"Come on," he stood and headed up the hill.

"What?"

"She lives ten miles from here, okay? We are not letting her walk that far or hitchhike," Sam answered as they reached the car.

"But…" Miles looked at his best friend since forever and sighed. "Fine, whatever," he got in and Sam drove off.

"Mikaela! It's Sam," he called out the window as they reached her. "Witwicky? I was wondering if we could drive you home?" he offered, and she hesitated before moving towards them. Miles jumped out and pulled his seat forward before climbing into the back himself, his Mom had taught him manners after all.

Mikaela got in the front seat and buckled up before Sam started driving again. "Thanks…I can't believe that I'm here right now," she admitted.

Miles crossed his arms and glared into the rear-view mirror, they didn't have to give her a lift.

"You can duck down if you want. I mean, it won't hurt our feelings," Sam offered.

"Oh, no, no, no. I didn't mean- I didn't mean here with you. I just meant here, like, in this situation."

"Oh," Miles had been about to tell her off, but that was maybe okay?

"This same situation that I'm always in. 'Cause, I don't know, I guess I just have a weakness for hot guys, for, for tight abs and really big arms."

"Big arms?" Sam snorted in amusement, that was one way to describe Trent.

"Are you... are you new to school? This year? This your first year?" She asked after a while of driving in silence.

Bumblebee listened to the humans as they conversed. He was pretty sure Sam liked the female. He had been doing a lot of research since Sam had purchased him and she appeared to be a healthy female of good age for procreation if that was what Sam sought.

"Oh, no. No. We've been in the same school since first grade," Sam answered as Miles choked back a laugh at how dumb she sounded.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Miles fought not to snicker.

"No," she shook her head, there was no way she wouldn't have noticed them.

"Yeah, a long time," Sam agreed with Miles.

"Well, do- do we have any classes together?"

"Oh. Yeah, yeah," Sam kept his eyes on the road, not sure what he felt about being that invisible. He'd given a presentation yesterday right in front of her!

"Really? Which?"

"History. Language arts. Math. Science."

"Sam," she nodded and then glanced back at the other guy.

"Sam. Yeah. That's Miles."

"Sam Wilkicky," she said, and Sam winced.

"Wit-wicky," he corrected.

"God, you know what? I'm so sorry. I just-"

"No, it's cool," Sam shrugged it off.

"I just didn't recognize you."

"Yeah, well, I mean, that's understandable," maybe he needed to find a new crush. And that was when the car began to sputter. "Ah, no, no, no. No. Come on."

Bumblebee turned the radio on, trying to help set the mood, though he did hope they didn't do anything inside him.

"Sorry, I'm just working out the kinks. You know, it's a new car."

" _When I get that feeling, I want sexual healing-"_

"Oh. This radio is, like, you know- It's an old radio, too, so-" what the hell was going on? First the car yard and now this?

" _Sexual healing. Sex-u-al."_

Sam pulled onto the dirt and turned the engine off. "Sorry, better check the engine," he scrambled out after popping the hood. To his surprise she followed.

"Whoa, nice headers. You've got a high-rise double-pump carburettor. That's pretty impressive, Sam," she offered as she looked into the engine.

"Double-pump?" he knew enough to change the oil and add water, anything more and he needed a mechanic.

"It squirts the fuel in so you can go faster."

"Ah, okay."

"And it looks like your, ah, your distributor cap's a little... loose."

"Yeah? How did you know that?" he asked as she leant over to tighten it.

"Uh, my dad. He was a real grease monkey. He taught me all about this. I could take it all apart, clean it, put it back together."

"That's neat, I just wouldn't peg you for mechanical."

"Well, you know, I don't really broadcast it. Guys don't like it when you know more about cars than they do. Especially not Trent."

"Unh."

"He hates it."

"His loss, sounds like you really know your stuff."

She laughed and fiddled a bit more. "Okay. You want to fire it up for me?"

"No problem. Miles?"

"You know, I was thinking. You know, if Trent's such a jerk, why do you hang out with him?" he asked curiously as Miles tumbled into the front seat to start the engine. It sputtered and Sam winced.

Mikael sighed," You know what? I'm just, uh, I'm gonna walk. Ah... Good luck with your car."

"All right, be safe," he offered, getting back in and sighing himself. She wasn't what he'd expected, and he couldn't decide what to think.

" _Baby come back!"_ Bumblebee played even as he started his engine much to the surprise of Sam and Miles.

"Still want a lift?" Sam yelled after her and Mikaela hesitated but walked back and got in. He drove back into town, dropping Miles off first before heading into a not so nice area of town. 'There it is."

"I had fun. Um. So, you know, thanks for listening."

"No problem."

"You- you think I'm shallow?" she turned to look at him and Sam winced.

"I think you're... No. No, no, no," he didn't know how to put it. "I think there's a lot more than meets the eye with you."

"Okay" she chuckled as she got out. "All right, I'll see you at school."

"All right, have a good weekend," he waved as she went up to the apartment and then hit his head on the headrest of his seat. "That's stupid... that was a stupid line. There's more than meets the eye with you. Stupid. Oh God," he chuckled weakly before driving off. He glanced down at the radio. "So weird though."

Bumblebee was pleased, he had the boy wondering. He watched as they settled in for recharge…or sleep as they called the controlled semi-shut down of many of their organic systems. He waited and then turned on his engine, waiting until he saw movement and then light in Sam's room before driving off, hoping he would follow. Sure enough, the boy soon emerged from the house, yanking his footwear on as he did. It was easy to intercept his attempts to communicate with the police, he wanted Sam's first glance at him to be uninterrupted. It took a little work to coax the boy into following him himself, but he eventually got on his bike and did so. Bumblebee led him to an abandoned industrial site and then transformed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Oh my…" Sam gasped as he stared, it wasn't possible…was it? he watched as the robot aimed something out…no up…to space? What was going on? He stumbled back and away, he was curious yes but also terrified. He turned and ran only for his car to cut him off. He tossed the keys at it and ran only to find himself cornered by some very large, aggressive dogs. To his surprise the car came barrelling in to save him and he stared, wide eyed, as the driver's door opened in invitation. Sam hesitated, torn, and then he heard sirens approaching and made his choice, lunging for the drivers seat. The door shut and the car took off, easily avoiding the police. Sam sat, white knuckled, and then the radio turned on, playing a song he didn't know, but he listened to the lyrics and slowly relaxed a bit, only to find they were turning into his driveway, the door opening. Sam got out and stumbled away, staring for a bit before heading inside, mind spinning. A robot car…the radio…had that been a message into space? To who? More like him? An invasion or something else? Who could he tell? Should he tell? He collapsed into bed, not sure what to do.

 _TBC…_


End file.
